Thyatira, Jezebel and Elijah - Part 2

 Thyatira 

1. 4th church in Rev

2. "odor of affliction"

3. Wealthy but small town. Smallest of the 7 churches of Revelation

4. most words spoken by Jesus to any of the churches

5. trade guilds in Thyatira opposed to Christianity

6. Known for purple dye. Metaphor for Babylonian church

7. Rev 2:19 

19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first

8. Rev 2:20 

But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

1Ki 16:30-33 

30 And Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah above all that were before him. 31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

1. Baal - "lord"

-supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites

"Share map of Phoenicians.webb"

Ahab takes Jezebel as wife and…

1. Went and served Baal

2. And worshipped him

3. Rears up a house for Baal

4. Rears up an altar for Baal

5. Ahab makes the Asherah

Why in Samaria? Capital of Israel

Why did Ahab build it?

Assuming on behalf of wife since father-in-law was Ethbaal

What does Ahab's father-in-law Ethbaal's name mean? 

"With Baal"

Previous mention of Baal?

"Baal" (H1120) is mentioned in Numbers 22-24. Means "high place" or "great high place". That isn't the same word as this.

This "Baal" means "lord". First mention of this "Baal" (h1168") in Bible:

Jdg 2:8-13 

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, that knew not Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim; 12 and they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down unto them: and they provoked Jehovah to anger. 13 And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

Vs11...And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the lord (Baalim)

Baal in NT? - another Jesus

2. Asherah (h842) -a grove for idol worship, a Babylonian-Canaanite (Astarte) goddess (of fortune and happiness), a Phoenician goddess, the supposed consort of Baal, her images, goddess, goddesses, her images, sacred trees or poles set up near an altar

The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar, and the Philistines had a temple of Asherah (1 Samuel 31:10). Because of Israel’s incomplete conquest of the land of Canaan, Asherah-worship survived and plagued Israel, starting as soon as Joshua was dead (Judges 2:13).

Asherah (H842) is from (H833) "Asher" meaning bless (-ed), happy, go, guide, lead, relieve

So if from the word "happy or blessed" and the Asherah represents a goddess of fortune and happiness, what might the NT image of the Asherah be?

The prosperity gospel?

First mention in OT of Israel worshipping the Asherah:

Jdg 3:5-7 

5 And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: 6 and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods. 7 And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgat Jehovah their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.

Wonder why God tells this to Israel?

Deu 16:21

Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah (grove) of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shalt make thee.

Probably so Israel does not associate a "grove" of trees with the altar of the Lord. 

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Mention of "Baal" and "Asherah" together in same verse?

1. Judges 3 

- God raises up Gideon to destroys them

2. 1 Kings 16 Ahab and Jezebel

-God raises up Elijah to destroy their prophets

3. 2 Kings 17 - Hosea king of Israel does wickedly

-king of Assyria besieges Samaria and eventually takes Israel away captive and God "casts them out of His sight"

4. In same chapter, 2 Kings 17, Judah follows in the same idolatry as Israel

God raises up Hezekiah as king in Judah who removes the idolatry from Judah

5. 2 Kings 21 Manasseh (@ 12 yrs old) becomes king of Judah. He rebuilds Baal worship and the Asherah.

6. 2 Kings 23 God raises up faithful king Josiah of Judah (@ 8 yrs old) who faithfully orders all vessels of Baal and the Asherah to be removed and burned from the Lord's temple

Parablesblog.com

Alongside Baal, the Sidonians worshiped Asherah. Asherah was a fertility goddess. The following historical information is provided that you might be able to discern the continuation of the Jezebel spirit in the church today, and thereby separate yourself from all that Yahweh detests.

Jezebel induced her husband Ahab, king of the ten northern tribes of Israel, to embrace the worship of Baal and Asherah. As Ahab embraced this idolatry, the citizens under his rule followed. The vast majority of the nation entered into idolatry, but Yahweh reserved a remnant unto Himself.

Romans 11:2-5

Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, "Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life"? But what does the divine response say to him? "I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

The passage just cited is written in the New Testament, yet it is referring to events in the Old Testament. The apostle Paul is revealing that the same spirit that was at work among the natural people of Israel in the days of the kings is still at work today in the church age. In a parallel truth, Yahweh is still at work to reserve a remnant unto Himself who have separated themselves from the rampant idolatry embraced by His people. In the days of Ahab and Jezebel, only seven thousand men could be found among the entire populace who had not embraced Baal and Asherah. Similarly, there is a remnant among the body of Christ today who have separated themselves from idols.

Recap 1Ki 18 end

1. Remember, God had sent a 3.5 year drought on Israel prior to chapter 18. In chapter 17 (which we didn't read), Elijah told Ahab "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word". 

2. Elijah had also stayed hidden for the entire period of time, living by God's provision near a brook in the wilderness. Then the stream dried up and God sent him to Sidon to live with a widow and her son.

3. Finally in chapter 18, God tells Elijah to meet Ahab. And he allows himself to be found by Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house.

4. Seems that Ahab blames Elijah for the drought. As he accuses Elijah of being the "troubled of Israel". Elijah confronts Ahab by telling him he follows Baal.

5. Elijah, in order to prove that to Ahab (and the entire nation of Israel) that Baal and Asherah are powerless tells Ahab to have a face off on Mt Carmel. 

Share "Elijah.jpg" on screen

6. A test between himself (representing the Lord God) vs the prophets of Baal and Asherah. Prepare a sacrifice. Call your god and I'll call mine, whomever answers by lighting the fire for the sacrifice will be "God".

7. This seems to suggest that Ahab and the people thought they were worshipping God or "lord" already. Or in the NT, Jesus. A different Jesus...

8. The prophets of Baal and Asherah are unable to get their god to respond. On the flip side, God answers Elijah's pray and fire comes down from heaven and consumes the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the dust, and the water that Elijah had poured on the sacrifice.

9. Thus proving who was REALLY God.

Reread these verses: 

10. Vs 40 Elijah had all the prophets of Baal (450) and Asherah (400) killed "down" by the Brook at Kishon. (Close by to My Carmel)

11. Vs 41 Elijah tells Ahab to "get up, eat and drink" for I hear the sound of "abundant rain".

Ahab has just witnessed the fire from heaven, the death of all of his wife's prophets. Is he rattled? 

Why does Elijah mention the sound of "abundant rain"? It hasn't rained in 3.5 years and maybe the still unbelieving Ahab needs further proof of God's power?

12. Vs 42 Elijah goes to the top of Mt Carmel (w his servant) to pray for rain. 

13. Vs 43-44 Elijah tells the servant to check six times for rain by looking out over the sea, from the top of Mt Carmel. He sees no evidence of it. During the 7th time, they see evidence of a small cloud arising out of the sea as small as a man's hand.

***This is a prophetic statement. ***What occurs on the 7th day?

***Why as small as a man's hand? Discuss later

14. Also in vs 44 Elijah tells Ahab to prepare his chariot so the rain doesn't stop him.

15. Vs 45 Shortly there after, the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and it rained.

Wind? Clouds? Rain?

16. Vs 45 Ahab heads back to Jezreel. But Elijah runs before Ahab to Jezreel ( 26 miles from Mt Carmel?), which seems to be where Ahab/Jezebel reside. 

Wonder why? 

-to confront Jezebel and the people??

Jezreel?

https://www.touristisrael.com/jezreel-valley/8604/

The Jezreel Valley (also known as Emek Yisrael and the Plain of Megiddo) is a beautiful area of the Galilee in Northen Israel, a strikingly flat landscape with immense natural beauty and historic importance. The Jezreel Valley is located at the southern end of the Lower Galilee bordered to the south by the Samarian Highlands.

Jezreel? Plains of Megiddo? 

Rev 16:16

16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Armageddon (g717) = "the hill or city of Megiddo"

In context:

Rev 16:12-16 

12 And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: 14 for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth unto the kings of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.) 16 And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon.